Joker: The Neighbor
by Nicole-GoddessOfLoki
Summary: Joker/Sophie Dumond. After the balloons in his chaotic head popped, Arthur had visited Sophie.. We saw that in the movie.. In her mind, Sophie replays this moment after finding out some facts about him. In the second chapter she watches the show 'Live With Murray Franklin'.. What does she think of her neighbor when she finds out of what he's capable of.
1. Thoughts

SOPHIE (overthinking):

I'm living next to a murdering psychopath. Or lived, because after today's events I doubt he ever comes back. They found a dead man in his apartment, murdered brutal. From what I've heard, the man was found lifeless against Arthur's wall with a scissor stabbed in the eye. That and his broken skull was the result of the highest level of violence. Attached to this building there are many scents that are better to be remained unidentified, and now the scent of blood just was everywhere..

The police came to our door, asking questions about Arthur. I couldn't tell them much because I just didn't knew much about him, clearly. His nightly laughter's, his odd habits.. Oh no doubt that I knew there was something wrong with the guy.. Aren't we all crazy? Especially when you're coming home in an old shed like this every single night? But murder.. They said they also suspected him from the triple homicide down at the train station. The suspect was a man who had disguised himself as a clown, with wearing face paint or a mask. I knew the clown thing was his work, but he wasn't the only one so I hadn't connected the dots.. Now this city was full of clowns, rioting.. A chaos caused by one particular clown, him..

I remember how a few weeks ago my daughter and I, while we were on our way to our apartment in this rotten old building, were standing right next to him in the creaking elevator. I gave him a sign of a gunshot in the head. For crying out loud, I gave the man who during the night is sauntering around killing men, dressed and rouged like a clown, a fucking gun sign! He followed me the day later, I know he did. I had felt his longing eyes pressed in my back. It was creepy and a part of me desired to know what the man wanted from me. I wanted to confront him but I waited too long and when I finally found the nerves to do so, he wasn't home, nor was his mother.. Several days later, after a long day, I found him sitting in my apartment. My breath paused and after I had recovered myself from the scare, I said something along the lines of: _"Arthur right? You're in the wrong apartment.."_ I told him to leave.

_"I'm having a bad day.."_ Arthur had said, almost mumbling.

He looked up, facing me and then I saw it. There was something odd about the look in his eyes.. From the inside, it started to freak me out and I worried about Gigi. I offered to call someone for him and asked him if his mother was home. In a slightly twisted way, he moved his fingers towards his head and he mimics shooting his head, the same gun sign I gave him earlier. Although at this point there was no make-up, clearly the balloons inside this clown's head had just popped. I froze as he just stood there, a manic smile well present on his face. He said nothing, stared at me for a while, still showing that smile. Neither Arthur or I blinked. I couldn't count how long the moment lasted. And then he just took off. Looking back and adding what I know now: Had he spared me? Spared us? I asked myself the question: why? I went to bed and pretended his visit had just been a bad dream.

_"Ma'am, you should have called us,"_ one of the police officers reacted when I had informed them about this incident.

Indeed. I should have, but why hadn't I?

**A/N:**

**I've never written a Joker Fan Fiction nor have I ever written a DC fan fiction.. The new Joker movie had just inspired me and I wanted to give writing about it (besides a review..) a try. Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	2. Live with Murray Franklin

**A/N:**

**Join Sophie in reliving this epic scene from the movie ;)**

LATER THAT NIGHT:

SOPHIE:

Life continues and for little Gigi, I decided that I couldn't stay living in fear. It's only a few hours after the horror in his apartment was discovered. After I brought Gigi to bed, I had turned on the TV and of course the clowns were all over in the news, taking it over. After passing a few channels, I happened to land on the channel that aired _Live With Murray Franklin. _I usually don't watch these silly shows, but there's no better thing on the damn thing anyway..

Murray introduced a stand-up comedian called Joker and I took a deep breath when the figure from behind the curtains appeared. Seriously, a clown? How original.. After the camera zoomed in on the man that made an entrance all dancing and kissing the old lady, my breath seemed to pause. His eyes. It was him. His make-up was more intense, his hair dyed green.. But still, I recognize him. It was Arthur, who apparently called himself Joker now.

He sits there with a smile well present on his clown face. How can he just sit there like that after the horrifying crimes he committed? As the show continues, Arthur tells Murray that this is exactly how he imagined it to be. I knew Arthur desired a carrier as stand-up comedian. At this same moment his apartment has been changed in a crime scene investigation. People are busy investigating the place or perhaps they've already started the cleaning process. Comedy my *ss.. At that particular scene, it's the opposite..

_"That's, right, Murray. I'm not political. I'm just trying to make people laugh." _Arthur answered the host's question about his look.

_"And how's that going for you?" _The audience is laughing. The host is just making fun of him. _"So, I know you're a comedian. Have you been working on any new material? You want to tell us a joke?"_ The man, who probably thinks he's quite something, continues. Arthur responses and then he takes out a small notebook. _"Take your time, we got all night.."_ the host says, pressuring Arthur and then he's giving the audience a look. Once again they laugh.

_"Okay, okay. Here's one. Knock, knock.." _Arthur said after he nervously had hid himself behind the notebook.

_"And you had to look that up?"_ Murray gave him a hard time and the crowds are laughing, again.. Something tells my mind to question whether this is a good or a bad thing.

After an apologize Arthur continues his joke, something about a drunk driver. It isn't really funny..

_"Oh, no, no, no. No, you can't joke about that,"_ one of the other guests of the show says. The host agrees and informs Arthur it's not the kind of humor they do on the show. No, the only kind of humor you do on this show is the kind that only makes you look good!

_"Okay. Yeah, I'm sorry. It's just, you know, it's been a rough few weeks, Murray. Ever since I killed those three Wall Street guys."_ Did I just misunderstood this? He's in a live show and he admitting a triple murder?

_"Okay, I'm waiting for the punchline,"_ the host comments. I'm afraid there is non..

In the back there are sounds of commotion. _"There is no punchline. It's not a joke."_ What is he doing? He's not coming out of there without being taken in custody. I'm sure there's security.. Are they believing him or not? _"I've got nothing left to lose. Nothing can hurt me anymore,"_ Arthur replies after the host dug deeper. _"My life is nothing but a comedy."_ Arthur truly believes what he's saying, it's clearly to be written off the smile he's showing.

_"Let me get this straight, you think that killing those guys is funny?"_ Murray pursued with showing his aversion. Arthur confirms and while he's speaking someone in the audience is yelling them to get him off the stage.

_"Come on, Murray. Do I look like the kind of clown that could start a movement? I killed those guys because they were awful. Everybody is awful these days. It's enough to make anyone crazy." _Do I look like the kind of clown that could start a movement? Uh, is it just me.. Did you not cause all the movements outside then?

The host declares him crazy and the crowds are truly booing him off right now. I'm waiting for the moment they are dragging him off the stage. Anytime now.. Instead the conversation is continuing and Thomas Wayne's name is mentioned. _"Have you seen what it's like out there, Murray? Do you ever actually leave the studio? Everybody just yells and screams at each other. Nobody's civil anymore! Nobody thinks what it's like to be the other guy. You think men like Thomas Wayne ever think what it's like to be someone like me? To be somebody but themselves? They don't. They think that we'll just sit down and take it like good little boys! That we won't werewolf and go wild!"_ He has a point there. It drove him to the killings. I just wish it hadn't had to come this far. I wish someone had listened earlier. Perhaps I should have.. No! No, I haven't done anything wrong. After all, he kept me alive..

The show is turning into a personal fight between Arthur and the host. _"You're awful, Murray.."_

_"Me? I'm awful? Oh, yeah? How am I awful?"_

_"Playing my video. Inviting me on this show. You just wanted to make fun of me. You're just like the rest of them." _The tone of Arthur's voice has reached a huge level of being in the state of hostile_. _Perhaps they'd better continue this thing backstage.. As the host counts up events that happened because of his actions, Arthur responses with the sound of a laugh.

_"You're laughing. You're laughing. Someone was killed today because of what you did."_

_"I know.." _In between his laughs, Arthur gave the host an reaction. This is the perfect example of an psychopath who desires an audience which is exactly what this show is giving him!

_"How about another joke, Murray?" _He's really going for it now..

_"No, I think we've had enough of your jokes."_ The host is trying to end the live show as Arthur isn't planning to shut up.

_"…a mentally ill loner with a society that abandons him and treats him like trash?!"_ Arthur aggressively opened the volume of his voice while Murray beckons someone behind to call the police.

_"I'll tell you what you get! You get what you fuckin' deserve!"_ BANG!

He didn't.. I didn't just witnessed Arthur cold-bloodily shooting Murray, the host of the program in the head, live on the television.. This is not real. They can do lots of things nowadays, this is all made up. They're just fucking with our minds! The show is continuing, it's a chaos. Shit, there's no single movement to be discovered in the host for as far as I can still see him! I had expected him to rise quickly, reassuring the crowds that it had just been a joke, a very bad and inappropriate joke in times like these..

People in the crowds are screaming and running, trying to escape this madness. They're definitely not laughing anymore. Arthur is the only one who's laughing now, or.. Joker.. The camera is focusing on him, showing the fresh blood spots on his face. He's laughing, enjoying the chaos. Damn, this is real! If someone would tune in right now, they would think they're watching an horror film.

He stands up, shooting another bullet gun into the host's lifeless body what's causing a few last screams in the background. Then he's doing a small, extremely self-confident dance as he's closing on the camera.

_"Goodnight. And always remember, that's…"_ Oh my god, what have I just watched? Only a few seconds were passed between the gunshot and the moment that the show went off air, but seen how strangely time works.. it felt like minutes, probably hours for the crowds.. This man was beyond redemption, a true treat for the society and for years he had lived just a few footsteps away..

* * *

THE NEXT MORNING (around 10:30) IN SOPHIE'S APARTMENT:

_*Knock, knock..*_

**A/N: **

**I guess I don't need to add: _"Who's there?"..._**


	3. Knock, Knock

THE NEXT MORNING (around 10:30) IN SOPHIE'S APARTMENT:

_*Knock, knock..*_

"Mama, someone is knocking on the door!" Gigi annoyingly called out. The girl sat in front of the tv, watching her favourite cartoon.

The sound of a flushing toilet filled the apartment. "I'm coming!"

_*Knock, knock..*_

"Hurry!" Gigi sighed. "I wonder who that can be," she said when she saw her mother walking into the living room.

"Probably the police," Sophie responded. She wasn't in the mood for this and besides, she had already told the police all she knew.

Gigi's eyes widened. "What? Because you let me skip school today?"

"No, you silly girl. It's about Arthur again." While speaking his name, Sophie's heart made a small jump. "Go to your room. This is not meant for your ears," Sophie strictly said. Quickly and without asking anymore questions, Gigi obeyed.

_*Knock, knock..*_

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" Sophie took a deep breath before heading towards the door. Then she opened the door and even before she had the door fully opened, the figure standing behind it already had spoken: "Hello Sophie.." When Sophie laid eyes on who that figure was, it was like she suddenly forgot how to breathe in the first place. "Arthur!" she managed to speak after a few seconds.

"Nah.. I go with the name Joker now," Arthur said playfully. A big smile appeared on his bloody painted face. Arthur gave the woman in front of him no time to shut the door into his face or to think of her next action. He grabbed her neck, planted his lips on hers and kissed her roughly. Therewith he performed one of his daydreams. He pushed her back in and slammed the door behind him, using his foot.

Arthur's sudden action had taken Sophie by surprise, it probably was the last thing she imagined he would do. "God.." she brought out after she managed to push him a little afar from her. She wiped her lips clean and pulled a face when staring at the mixed white and red colours now present her sleeve. "Jeez.." Sophie widened her eyes. "What are you doing here? The.. police.." she stuttered, shockingly.

"..are looking for me. Yeah, yeah, I know. I need to use your bathroom," Joker answered and without waiting for Sophie's response, he walked further into her apartment. "My face is ruined.."

"Not that way!" Sophie reacted when Arthur went towards Gigi's room. Quickly she guided him to the bathroom.

"You know, I'm thinking highly of you, so don't do anything stupid to make me change my mind about that.." Arthur shaped his hand like a gun, pointing in the direction of Gigi's room.

"Just tell me what your intentions are," Sophie spoke with slight a shivering in her voice. Around the corner she heard water splashing into Arthur's clownish face.

Short a minute later Arthur responded while wiping his face with one of the towels Sophie used earlier today. And there it was, the face of the Arthur she vaguely recognized. "Wake her up and grab some stuff, we can't um.. stay here." He acted like if it was usual to give a strange woman such a demand. His facial expression was neutral and was most certainly not giving away whether his intentions with Sophie and her daughter were to be rated as good or bad. "Let's leave this one here, dirty.." Arthur frowned and threw the towel he just used for the paint leftovers on his face, on the floor inside the bathroom.

"Where do you want to go?" Sophie asked, playing along while she was searching for a bag.

"I don't care, anywhere that is more colourful than this depressing shack.." He heard a door behind him and turned around to see Gigi's surprised face. He gave her a big smile. "Join the party, my child.."

* * *

**A/N:**

**I took me long to update and it's not such a long chapter compared to the second chapter because I hadn't had much inspiration for this story. For now I leave it with an open ending, but perhaps I will continue it after I gained some new inspiration by seeing Joker again. (The DVD release is in February)**


End file.
